College Intern Program

The Port Angeles Police Department, working in collaboration with Peninsula College in Port Angeles and other accredited colleges in the United States and abroad, has established a college intern program to assist students who are in the process of obtaining undergraduate and graduate education. Internships are a field practicum designed to relate the student's classroom studies with occupational and work experiences. Interns are typically required to perform a minimum of 250 hours work with the Police Department during the course of their internship. They can earn from 5 to 12 credit hours toward their degree, depending on their institution and program.

Application to the Intern Program is open to undergraduate and graduate students from any accredited institution, including criminal justice and business students from Peninsula College. The intern applicant must be of good character and in good standing with their college or university.

All intern applicants are required to complete and submit a Port Angeles Police Department application and be fingerprinted and photographed. The deputy chief of police and administrative sergeant will interview applicants who successfully complete the required background investigation. They will make a recommendation to the chief of police for final review.

Although the interns provide assistance to the department as volunteers and enjoy a learning opportunity from working closely with department personnel, they are not law enforcement personnel and are not treated as such. Interns will be given specific work projects and assignments consistent with their program of study and skills.

Interns assigned to the Records Division may, for example, learn and practice computer skills related to entry of police records. Interns may be assigned to the Patrol Division, the Detective Division, the Records Division, the Communications Division, or Administration. They may attend City Council meetings and meetings of the Law Enforcement Advisory Board. Interns typically compile and edit the department mid-year and year end reports. Some interns have been assigned long-term projects in the Detective Division and in Administration. Interns may be afforded the opportunity to work in other departments or divisions of the city government.

Past Police Department interns have come from as far as Germany, and from public colleges and universities in Washington and Oregon. Prior student interns had courses of study that included criminal justice, public administration, business, and law.

The purpose of the Port Angeles Police Department Student Intern Program is to provide the students a quality learning experience while they perform valuable work within the department. Interested students can contact Chief of Police Brian Smith by email or by phone at 360-417-4901. Alternatively, you can contact Deputy Chief Jason Viada at 360-912-0106.

School Resource Officer

The school resource officer (SRO) first appeared in the 1950s. School resource officers have since become increasingly popular and necessary in many parts of the country. Placing an SRO is a preventative measure, allowing students and teaching staff to focus on learning and teaching rather than safety and security.

A Port Angeles Police officer fulfills SRO duties primarily at Port Angeles High School, which welcomes 1,700 students and teachers to its 39 acre campus daily. The SRO also provides services on the campuses of Choice School and Stevens Middle School. While the SRO performs traditional law enforcement services at the schools, he occasionally fills the rolls of classroom educator, counselor, and adviser.

It is the belief of the Port Angeles Police Department and School District #121 that the School Resource Officer Program helps to maintain a respectful and beneficial relationship between law enforcement and young adults.

Volunteer Program

The Volunteer Program has become a key provider of auxiliary police services offered to the citizens of the City of Port Angeles. The program began in 1997 with a small group of citizens performing only limited services. In 1998, the program gained momentum and now provides full-fledged "community policing" services throughout the community.

When "on the job," our volunteers wear a uniform unique to their membership. They are equipped with a volunteer patrol vehicle, cellular phones, and a police radio. Several local businesses and student programs at the Port Angeles High School contributed to supply the volunteers with a portable radar utility trailer used to conduct Radar Speed Watches in local problem areas.

Downtown Resource Officer

The Downtown Resource Officer (DRO) position was initiated in 2007. The DRO has an office located at the Gateway Transit Center and works closely with Clallam Transit involving issues there. The DRO also handles other issues in the downtown area.

The DRO office has become well known to those that frequent the downtown area, and also has good visibility for tourists. There are many walk-up contacts from people wanting information about the area, having questions or a problem, or reporting a crime.

Self-initiated activities are perhaps the most important of the DRO's duties. Such activities can include positive contacts with citizens and business owners. What we know from community policing, and our experiences here in Port Angeles, is that criminal and other inappropriate behavior does not occur when police officers are present and active.